


run into the starlight

by kaigazing



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lightsaber (Music Video), Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-17 07:44:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9312122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaigazing/pseuds/kaigazing
Summary: The Jedi are dead, forced into disbandment centuries earlier by the now-defunct Galactic Republic. When an unidentified terrorist organization begins to torment the planets of the Outer Rim, Kyungsoo learns that no matter how hard the galactic governments tried, nothing can stop the will of the Force.





	1. I.I

**Author's Note:**

> OR, alternatively
> 
> The Lightsaber!AU I wanted but never got.

His home was devoured in flames, centuries of history tinder to the all-consuming monster. The pure heat of the fire threatened to melt his skin off his bones as the flames licked at his back. His lungs burned from the smoke he inhaled as he screamed and sobbed, his dying father cradled in his trembling arms. 

This couldn’t be real. This had to be some sick nightmare, a sign from the Force that he had to clean up his act and start treating his father with the respect he deserved. He couldn’t be dead, _he couldn’t_. He still had so much to learn.

_Appa!_

His father, with the little energy he had left, looked him square in the eyes. With his last breath, the dying man gasped something that would've brought a much younger boy excitement. But now it just brought regret and pain. 

_The legacy is now yours._

The last sliver of light left his father's eyes as his body became limp, his soul surrendering to the Force. 

Everything fell silent—the crackling of the flames, the sound of his screams all gone. He could hear nothing but the blood pounding in his ears. He couldn’t breathe. _He couldn’t breathe._   

If only he had been here. If only he had listened to his father. If only he weren't such a spoiled brat.  _If only_ —

Ash rained and settled around him, innocence destroyed. 

**And from the ashes he rose.**

 

☆★☆

 

Elerion is a shithole of a planet. Overrun with criminals and headed by the notorious Im Clan, the Outer Rim planet is a cesspool for depravity. 

That, and it’s  _humid_. 

The population centers on the capital, Kushal Vogh, with the rest of the planet sparsely inhabited by small gangs. Neon signs advertising  _Nude Girls_  and  _Pazaak Here_ and  _Criminals Only! GU Get Fucked!_  illuminate the streets of the capital city. The streets are filled with drunks slinking from one bar to the next, one particular idiot deciding to piss out in the street. At least he has the decency to turn away from passersby, not that most of them were lucid enough to notice anyway. But it’s the thought that counts.

"Does Hyunsik know we're here or will we have to fight our way in again?" Junmyeon asked, shuddering and face contorting when he noticed the pissing drunk.

"Yeah," Kyungsoo responds absentmindedly, his attention stolen by human man being simultaneously seduced and pickpocketed by two beautiful Twi'lek women. 

"Okay, that didn't answer my question _at all_ —“

"Um, heads up," comes a deep voice from behind the two. "I may or may not have left my bag on the Cloud, so, uh—"

"Really, Chanyeol?" Junmyeon turns to glare at the tall Engineer. "We land on this shady planet and you don't think to yourself, 'Wow, maybe I should bring some weapons to protect myself from mafiosos and handsy drunkards'?"

Chanyeol, eyes wide, holds his hands up in surrender. Despite his intimidating height, Chanyeol is all bark and no bite without his explosives purse. (It's a  _satchel_ , thank you very much!) "Look, I know you get antsy on Outer Rim planets, but that doesn't give you the right to attack me like this—"

"It's common sense, Chanyeol—"

"Since when has he ever had common sense?" Kyungsoo jumps in, a smirk tugging at his lips. 

"Yeah— _hey_!" Chanyeol pouts, crossing his arms petulantly. "Pricks."

Junmyeon and Kyungsoo chuckle, fist bumping for their victory against the giant. Shorties have to stick together in this cruel, cruel galaxy. 

Their grins drop when someone stumbles into their path and vomits. 

"I hate the Outer Rim," Junmyeon deadpans, eying the passed out drunk in disdain. 

 

☆★☆

 

The bass hits Kyungsoo's core as soon as they step through the doors of Thriller, the biggest club in Kushal Vogh and the Im Clan's headquarters. A sprawling bar took up one wall, tables and booths overtaking the other side with the dance floor between. Dozens of bodies pulse to the latest galactic club hit, sweat and alcohol permeating in the air.

The second floor overlooking the dance floor served as the VIP section and also housed private rooms for those who, at the low price of 250 credits for a night, couldn't wait to go back an apartment or love hotel. That's where Hyunsik would be, looking out at his inheritance. 

Getting into the club had been easy enough—Kyungsoo  _had_  warned Hyunsik of their arrival this time, and the blue-skinned Noghri bouncer outside let them in with little more than a grunt. Last time had a lot more yelling and punching before Hyunsik's bodyguard came to diffuse the fight. It hadn't ended particularly well for either side.

"Keep your ComLinks on," Kyungsoo yells over the noise. "Don't get into any trouble."

"You sure you don't want us to come with you? I know Hyunsik's your friend, but there's no such thing as being too safe!" Junmyeon responds just as loudly, his Mom coming through strong. It was in the navigator's nature to worry about everything (and Kyungsoo means  _everything_ ), even after several trips to the club over the years. 

Most would find that trait annoying, but Kyungsoo finds it charming. 

He offers a reassuring smile to his friend. "I'll be fine. Keep an eye on Mr. Common Sense, though, will you?"

Chanyeol scoffs, "So much dick in such a little body."

"That's not what that means."

"Fuck right off—"

"All right, boys, enough," says Junmyeon in his Mom voice, giving them both a disapproving glare like he hadn't started an argument with Chanyeol outside. "Kyungsoo, go talk to Hyunsik. C'mon, Chanyeol. Let's go see if the bar gives us water for free because we're broke as shit."

Ah, right, the reason why Kyungsoo forced his crew to come all the way back to the Outer Rim after a year of avoiding it: money. Ever since Kyungsoo won Cloud 9 in a game of Pazaak that lasted eight hours and decided to finally do something legal with his life, the Outer Rim became a distant memory of his smuggling days. Of course, there are _some_ exceptions (his high-paying clients like Hyunsik), but for the most part Kyungsoo swore off smuggling and had Cloud 9 legally registered as a freighter. His previous ship, The Star, had been his father’s ship before him and was a good fifth of the size of Cloud 9. With starship freighters dwarfing The Star, Kyungsoo learned that he was unable to keep up in the legal cargo business. (Apparently his father hadn’t either, but he didn’t learn that until after his father died. The stuff parents do to keep their kids happy, right?) So, the only option that seemed available to a seventeen-year-old boy with a tiny starship and a bankrupt transport business was smuggling. And there’s no better market for illegal transport than the Outer Rim.

However, business is tight now. (Something about a lot of thugs suddenly popping up? Who knows, Kyungsoo doesn’t keep up with galactic news. That’s Junmyeon’s job.) Sources that previously spewed money stopped flowing, and Kyungsoo has two crewmembers to feed and a star cruiser to upkeep. So he decided that, as captain and pilot of Cloud 9, they must return to their (mostly) abandoned smuggler roots to earn some extra cash. Honestly, he chose Hyunsik because Elerion was the shortest distance away from where they were when he made this decision.

Following a path around the edge of the dance floor, Kyungsoo heads toward the stairs that lead to the VIP section. A Togruta stands at the base of the steps, easily identifiable by his blue-and-white-stripped lekku and white face tattoos. Kyungsoo give a curt nod to the familiar face, and the Togruta steps aside to let him up. Kyungsoo ascends the stairs, his face blank as he walks. He glances over at the bar for a moment, scanning for his navigator and engineer. He finds them seated toward the far end nursing what seems two glasses of water; at least Chanyeol isn’t getting into trouble (he tends to speak faster than he thinks).

As Kyungsoo passes some of the couches, he notices stares lingering on his figure. Some are simply curious, other have a more...carnal purpose. Kyungsoo openly glares at those ogling him, knowing exactly what they’re thinking. Humans are regarded as a particularly weak species, thus other species tend to have this fantasy of a submissive and obedient slave.

Kyungsoo likes to think he looks like the least submissive human out there, what with his resting scowl, thick eyebrows, brown leather jacket, and full-body armor suit. Yeah, okay, he’s relatively short with a shoulder width about the same size as Chanyeol’s forearm, but his face is usually enough to ward others off.

The pilot continues towards the center of the second floor where another section is roped off and surrounded by more bodyguards.

As soon as Kyungsoo is within hearing distance, a cheerful voice calls out to him by his old smuggling codename. “D.O.!”

The bodyguard in front of him unclips the rope to allow him through, and once he’s in Hyunsik gets up from the velvet couch and throws himself at his old friend. Kyungsoo catches him, priding himself in not stumbling backwards when the crime prince wraps himself around his body.

“I thought you abandoned me for stupid Galactic Union ass kissers,” Hyunsik says into his ear above the music.

Hyunsik detaches himself and holds Kyungsoo at arms length, a grin on his face. He’s dyed his hair sea foam green, and he’s barely wearing anything. Clad in tight leather pants, an open black jacket and no undershirt, with a golden medallion depicting the Im Clan’s insignia resting on his bare chest, Hyunsik looks every part the rebellious and cocky crime prince he portrays. (In reality he’s more a daddy’s boy than he will ever admit, but Kyungsoo’s known him long enough to know the truth.)

Kyungsoo returns a genuine smile. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t completely monetarily influenced and _kinda_ wanted to visit his friend after a few months of separation. “It’s good to see you, Sik.”

“Come, sit!” Hyunsik pulls him over to the couch and pushes him down.

Kyungsoo lands with a quiet “oof” and Hyunsik happily sits next to him, bouncing on the seat before settling. “Want something to drink?”

Kyungsoo nods his head. “I can’t really pay for it, though.”

Hyunsik waves his hand dismissively. “On the house for friends.” He then gestures to someone behind Kyungsoo, and a waitress walks forward with a glass and a bottle of some alcohol. It’s too dark for Kyungsoo to make out the name on the bottle, but knowing Hyunsik’s tastes it’s probably some type of whiskey.

Kyungsoo thanks the waitress, a scantily clad Twi’lek woman with heels that make him fear for her safety, and takes a sip. He closes his eyes at the satisfying burn down his throat; it’s been way too long since they’d been able to afford good booze on Cloud 9.

“Well, as much as I’d like to think you’re here just to pay lil ol’ me a visit, I’m not an idiot,” Hyunsik starts, wrapping an arm around Kyungsoo to bring him closer so they can speak without screaming. “What d’you need?”

“I’m not that big of an asshole,” Kyungsoo argues. “I did want to see you, promise.”

Hyunsik rolls his eyes. “I’ve known you for eight years, D.O. You can’t fool me with that little routine.”

Kyungsoo is about to respond when a flicker of movement from behind Hyunsik catches his movement. He turns his gaze to the tall figure standing on the side of the crime prince. The top half of his body is covered by a dark brown cloak that stops mid-thigh, the hood pulled over his head. From the angle and the lighting, all Kyungsoo can see is the figures lips and chin, but from the shape of the figure he can guess that the person is human.

“Who’s that?” Kyungsoo asks, nodding his head at the figure. Not only does he look unfamiliar, but also if he’s human that’s enough reason for questioning. The Im Clan traditionally chooses to use bigger, more violent races for protection, not small, weak humans.

Hyunsik looks confused for a moment, turning around to see behind him before turning back with a grin. “Oh, that’s my temporary personal bodyguard, Kai!”

“What happened to the last one?”

“Pazaak game gone wrong.” Oh.

“Is he human?” Kyungsoo asks, keeping an eye on the figure.

“Yup, strong one, too. Took out three Gamorreans and a Zabrak first time I met him. He’s a beast.” Hyunsik sighs. “I wish he’d stay; I’ve never felt so safe, honestly.”

Kai suddenly turns and locks gazes with Kyungsoo, the new lighting on his face showing the gleam of his eyes. Kyungsoo swears his eyes flash yellow for a moment before the man’s face contorts into something like anger and he turns away.

Kyungsoo, curious now, tries to incline his head to get a better view of the bodyguard, only to have Hyunsik’s face suddenly in his line of vision.

“What’s up with you? You know him or something?” Hyunsik asks.

Kyungsoo, snapping out of whatever he was in, shakes his head. “No, just curious, I guess. I’ve never seen human bodyguards.”

Hyunsik shrugs before becoming serious. “So what’s up?”

Kyungsoo offers him a sheepish grin. “We’re a little tight on money...”

Hyunsik’s eyebrows furrow. “So you want a loan? That’s not like you—“

“No, I’m asking if you have any jobs,” Kyungsoo clarifies quickly. Like hell he’s going to take a loan from the mafia—he may be friends with Hyunsik, but he’s seen enough messy endings by debt collectors to know that “friend” means nothing when “loan” is involved.

“Oh! Okay, yeah, I’ve got some stuff. How much money you need?”

Kyungsoo pauses, a little embarrassed at the amount he’s asking for. When he finally manages to state his price, Hyunsik lets out low whistle. “Damn. What have you been up to?”

“There’s some _thing_ going on in the GU that has business fluctuating, and we got the ass end of it,” Kyungsoo explains.

“Oh, yeah, I heard about that. Something with terrorism, I think, but we don’t get much info on the Galactic Union out here.” Hyunsik takes a sip of his whiskey. “Not like it affects us, really. The GU never cares about the Outer Rim.”

“That’s why you’re so successful,” Kyungsoo points out.

Hyunsik grins wolfishly in response. “So, back to business. I’ll meet your price, plus 4,000 credits for snacks.”

Kyungsoo’s voice is stuck in his throat _. 4,000_ extra credits just for “snacks”? “ _What_?”

Hyunsik shrugs. “I’ve got two jobs for you, so I figure that should be enough. Plus, you’re my friend, D.O. I don’t like to see you struggling.”

Two jobs? “All right, what do you need done?”

“I need you to deliver a package to Endor for me, nothing big. The second job though...” Hyunsik trails off and turns towards Kai. “I need you to get him to Rishi. Raider's Cove.”

Kyungsoo’s naturally wide eyes widen even further. Both planets are on the other side of the galaxy. No wonder Hyunsik was so willing to pay in full; the trips would definitely eat away at most of the credits. Why would Hyunsik send his bodyguard so far  _away_ from him?

“Don’t you need him?” Kyungsoo asks, incredulous.

“Told you he was temporary. He’s only working for me to pay off this trip. He’s been here for a few months now, and he’s where he needs to be. I promised him I’d get him a ride to Rishi and you appeared without me having to arrange something, so,“ Hyunsik stops, confidently holding his gaze and sticks out his hand, “do we have a deal, D.O.?”

Kyungsoo glances at Kai, the man standing as straight as ever as he gazes out onto the dance floor. Something just wasn’t... _right_ about this guy, and Kyungsoo’s gut tended to be right. That’s how he’s kept his crew and ship alive for five years.

...But they _really_ needed this money.

Plus, his father always preached about kindness to strangers, as you never know when you’ll need a favor. He hoped he was smiling down on him, wherever he was.

Kyungsoo grasps Hyunsik’s hand in a firm grip, giving it a short shake. “We have a deal.”

Hyunsik’s serious façade drops and is immediately replaced by his previous grin. “Great! Hey, Kai!” Hyunsik calls to the bodyguard.

The man turns to him obediently, and some invisible force pulls in Kyungsoo again. The man nears Hyunsik, and Hyunsik gestures for him to sit down. Kyungsoo watches his every movement, mesmerized by the man’s intimidating aura.

“This is D.O. He’ll be taking you to Rishi,” Hyunsik explains.

Kai’s gaze flickers to Kyungsoo and he gives a curt bow of his head. At least he has manners.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Hyunsik turns back to Kyungsoo and explains, “but he’ll serve his purpose well.”

Kyungsoo nods at his friend before his gaze ends up on Kai again, and he barely contains his surprise to see the man looking back at him. The intensity has Kyungsoo locked and unable to look away, his heart suddenly beating fast. They stay like that for a few moments, Hyunsik oblivious to what’s happened. 

All Kyungsoo can think is _who are you_?

Kai breaks the prolonged stare when he turns his attention back to the dance floor, and Kyungsoo looks away as well, wondering what the _hell_ is going on.

 

☆★☆

 

Kai soon returns to his post beside the couch with out so much as a word, and Hyunsik barely seems to notice.

Hyunsik keeps handing him drink after drink, and Kyungsoo blesses his high alcohol tolerance or else he’d be stumbling out of the club with this mysterious Kai man supporting him while Chanyeol makes fun of him and Junmyeon scolds him.

The night is relatively calm, according to Hyunsik. No big fights, no feuds. Everyone is just dancing like an idiot and looking to share an intimate 15 minutes in a bathroom stall or love hotel. Hyunsik leads the conversation, asking about Cloud 9 and her crew. Kyungsoo responds in turn and they laugh. It’s honestly extremely mundane and nothing like one would think talking to the son of a Mafioso would be.

Soon, Kyungsoo begins to feel guilty for leaving Junmyeon and Chanyeol to sip on water while he drinks expensive whiskey, and states that he should be leaving soon.

Hyunsik gives him a pout. “You never stay for long.”

“I gotta make your deliveries, remember?” Kyungsoo chuckles fondly.

Hyunsik doesn’t stop pouting, but he nods in understanding. “I’ll have someone will meet you at your ship within the hour to give you the package and the money. I’ll send the details to Cloud 9.” The two stand up, and Hyunsik brings Kyungsoo in for a hug again. “Come back soon. I get bored without my friends. Bodyguards and mob bosses are only entertaining for so long.”

“I’ll be back when I can, promise.”

“You better,” Hyunsik mock-threats into his ear before letting him go. He turns to Kai, “C’mon, your ride is leav—“

The chorus of screams that interrupt Hyunsik has Kyungsoo jumping a bit higher than he’d like to admit. All three of them rush forward to find the source.

It’s easy to find. Three large men stand in the center of the dance floor, all different species, with guns in their hands. The crowd has created a hole for them as everyone tries to get as far away as possible. Their eyes are searching the second floor, gazes finally locking on Hyunsik between Kyungsoo and Kai.

“Hyunsik Im!” the middle one, a pale Zabrak, yells.

“Oh, great,” Hyunsik mutters under his breath.

“Who’d you piss off now?” Kyungsoo asks, exasperated. He should’ve expected this, really, since he never gets to leave Elerion in peace.

Hyunsik only grimaces in response, keeping his eyes on the Zabrak.

“The Im Clan has disrespected the Red Suns for the last time!”

Hyunsik sighs and leans over the railing like the brat he is. “What is this about exactly? I’m a very busy man.”

Kyungsoo’s unsure if Hyunsik could’ve said anything to make the man more pissed off.

“ _What is this about_? Again, you disrespect authority—“

Hyunsik scoffs. “What authority? All I see are three buffoons causing trouble in my club. You’ve overstayed your welcome; _get out_.”

The Zabrak seems to tremble in anger as he raises his gun. “That is it, you fucking brat—“

Kyungsoo instinctively reaches out and pulls Hyunsik to the floor quickly enough that the energy bullet misses the crime prince completely and goes through the roof instead.

Hyunsik lets out a groan as he clutches his head, and Kyungsoo quickly apologizes.

“It’s fine,” Hyunsik says through gritted teeth. “Rather have a bump on my head than a hole in it.”

Kyungsoo lets out the breath he was holding, relieved that his friend is unharmed. It’s then that he notices that Kai is no longer at the balcony. He’s not _anywhere_. Once Kyungsoo focuses more clearly, he hears war cries from down below. Kyungsoo pulls himself up, eyes widening in awe at the sight before him. Kai is singlehandedly fighting all the three of the gangsters. Their blasters are splayed some distance away, proof that Kai disabled all three of them before taking them on at the same time.

Kai fights with a grace that Kyungsoo could only hope to emulate in life. As one comes flying at him, he sidesteps easily and punches the man directly in the solar plexus. When he keels over, Kai takes a tight grip on his body and flings it at another coming at him. The bodyguard turns his attention to the Zabrak, who finally seems to understand he bit off more than he could chew. Kyungsoo swears he can see him shaking, about to piss his pants, and he can’t stop the smirk pulling at his lips. Kai doesn’t make the first move, rather he stares the man down, daring him to attack.

The expression on the Zabrak’s face flitters between anger and insecurity before it finally settles on anger. The man lets out a yell before charging at Kai with unbridled rage. Kai falls into a defensive stance, ducking under the oncoming punch.

Kyungsoo’s eyes are directed to Kai’s exposed waist, a large silver cylinder holstered there. Is that a weapon? If it is, then why isn’t Kai using it?

Kyungsoo watches as the bodyguard blocks all of the gangster’s (rather sloppy) punches. The Zabrak’s eyes are wild as he tries to land a hit on the constantly moving Kai, and his fury grows with every miss. Kyungsoo _swears_ he can see a small smirk on Kai’s face lips, like he’s toying with the Zabrak.

 _What a dick_ , Kyungsoo thinks as he grins.

“Told you he was good,” Hyunsik says proudly from beside him.

Growing used to Kai simply sidestepping punches, Kyungsoo (and the entire club) is completely unprepared for the roundhouse kick to the jaw Kai delivers when the Zabrak charges him again.

The crowd collectively gasps at the audible smack of the connection. Kyungsoo lets out a low _Ooh,_ feeling a phantom pain in his own jaw. He unconsciously moves his hand to rub his cheek, his face pulling into a grimace.

The Zabrak stumbles for a moment, eyes unfocused, before falling to the ground, knocked out cold. The entire club is quiet for a moment before it’s drowned in cheers.

Hyunsik lets out a sigh; Kyungsoo can barely hear him over the roar of the crowd. “I’m gonna miss that guy.”

 

☆★☆

 

After saying his goodbyes again to Hyunsik (“What kind of idiot am I, letting the only two people in the whole galaxy that I feel safe with leave me?”), Kyungsoo makes his way down to the bottom floor again. Chanyeol and Junmyeon are standing at the base of the steps, Chanyeol with crazy eyes and a wild grin that threatens to split his face in half.

“That shit was _lit_!” he yells when Kyungsoo is in range. “I dunno why Junmyeon hates the Outer Rim so much; you don’t get entertainment like _that_ on Coruscant.”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes at the giant. “Says the man with the criminal record on twenty different planets and two systems.”

Chanyeol, like the adult he is, sticks his tongue out at the elder.

Junmyeon chooses to ignore him.  “So, how did the negotiations go?”

Kyungsoo gives him a thumbs up. “He paid full price plus an extra 4,000. Two jobs. One is getting a package to Endor, and the other...” Kyungsoo trails off as he searches the crowd for Kai. He doesn’t have to look too hard, because soon the man is moving way through the crowd.

The crowd happily opens for him, giving him slaps on the back and praise. He takes it all in stride, walking with a holier-than-thou elegance that—for some reason—angers Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo watches him scan the club before his eyes land on the trio, and Chanyeol and Junmyeon tense up when they notices Kai walking directly towards them.

“What the fuck? Why is he walking this way? What did you, Soo?” Chanyeol asks quickly, his eyes wide.

Kyungsoo stays quiet until Kai is standing right in front of them, his bare arms crossed across his broad chest covered in black leather armor.

“This is our second package, Kai. We’re getting him to Rishi.”

Junmyeon offers a kind smile, albeit a little forced. “Welcome!”

Kai simply bows in response.

Chanyeol continues to gape at bodyguard, and Junmyeon and Kyungsoo promptly elbow him in his sides.

“Hey,” Chanyeol greets through gritted teeth, bent over slightly rubbing his ribs.

The bodyguard gives him a polite nod before turning all his attention to Kyungsoo. The pilot has to look up to meet the man’s eyes, which are already well hidden under his hood and the dark lights of the club. He searches for that _thing_ , the yellow tint, the reason why Kyungsoo feels so weird about the man. Yellow eyes prompt some sort of reaction in Kyungsoo’s memory, but he can’t remember _what_ exactly.

Kai maintains his gaze steadily, eyes showing no sign of the yellow Kyungsoo swears is there.

“Um...should we get going?”

Kyungsoo breaks the stare this time, looking to his concerned Navigator and giving him a curt nod. “Yeah. Hyunsik said he’d have someone drop off everything at the ship.”

He doesn’t spare Kai another glance as he leads his crew out of Thriller, the enigmatic bodyguard hopefully having enough sense to follow behind.


	2. I.II

The path back to the docking bay is nearly empty at this time of night, and the Cloud 9 crew instinctively walks close together. Kai trails slightly behind, a tall shadow following their every move. Kyungsoo feels uncomfortable with his back turned towards the stranger that he’s labeled “unsafe and weird” in his head, but he supposes it would be just as awkward to have the man against his back.

Chanyeol chats excitedly about the new equipment he can buy for Cloud 9 now, an extra skip in his step than usual. The poor guy has wanted to upgrade the freighter for a while, but their monetary situation limited him for the longest time.

Somewhere between Chanyeol blabbering about a ring-stabilizer (expensive) and a new hyperdrive (more expensive), Kyungsoo butts in. “Is food anywhere on this long list of yours? I don’t see how a tricked out star cruiser will benefit us if we all starve to death.”

Chanyeol pouts. “At least we’ll die in style.”

Junmyeon gives the tall man a consolatory pat on the shoulder. “Let’s focus on fixing the things that need to be fixed, not adding a XX-69 laser cannon to the top of the ship.”

“It’s an XX-79, and okay.” Chanyeol looks at his feet dejectedly before whispering, “ _it’d look so badass, though_.”

Kyungsoo can’t stop the quirk of his lips and the chuckle he lets out, amused by his Engineer’s antics. Chanyeol perks up immediately, grinning proudly at the pilot; Kyungsoo knows Chanyeol lives for the times he can get a laugh out of the usually straight-faced captain.

The docking bay building comes into view, the perimeter lit up by enormous floodlights. The entrance is a wide-open, which any sane person believes would welcome criminals to waltz in and hijack any star cruiser to their liking. Miraculously, there hasn’t been a hijacking from the Kushal Vogh Docking Bay in decades, as all the bandits seem to have some sort of reluctant respect for each other. The worst Kyungsoo has seen is some crude drawings and phrases painted on rival ships out of spite. (Kyungsoo’s theory is that stealing from an open and unmonitored area just isn’t that  _fun_ ; who would bother when there’s no adventure of getting caught?)

The docking bay is relatively empty at this time of night, most of the crews passed out. (Whether inside their ships or in a gutter is up for debate.) Kyungsoo makes sure to give a friendly nod to anyone that walks past his group; like hell he’s going to deal with crazy ass bandits vandalizing his baby. Stay pleasant and befriend the scariest looking guy in the room, his father always preached.

Kyungsoo does a much better job at hiding his excitement at the sight of Cloud 9 than Chanyeol, who lets out a (very manly) squeal at the sight of the light freighter.

“Baby girl!” he cries, rushing over to the boarding ramp that descends when Kyungsoo pushes a button on his ComLink.

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes at his Engineer’s back. “Hey, I won her; she’s my baby.”

“I keep her running,” Chanyeol throws back, not bothering to turn around in his haste to get into the engines room. “Joint custody!”

Kyungsoo is about to retort and  _wreck_  Chanyeol’s flat ass (really!), but stops when Junmyeon lets out a deep sigh and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Can’t you two behave  _somewhat_  around our guest?”

The pilot looks back at the shrouded figure following them like a ghost, kind of forgetting he was there. The bodyguard seems indifferent, looking around the docking bay rather than paying attention to them.

Kyungsoo turns back to Junmyeon and shrugs. “He’s gonna be with us for a while; might as well get used to it.”

Junmyeon just sighs again and continues to the starship, leaving behind Kyungsoo and Kai.

The pilot turns back to the bodyguard, his eyes narrowed. “Look, the only reason I’m doing this is because I owe Hyunsik, nothing more, nothing less. I don’t trust you. If you fuck with anyone on that ship, you’ll have a one way trip into the vacuum of space via the airlock, got it?”

Kai grits his teeth, but that’s about all anyone can see thanks to his hood. The bodyguard dips into another silent bow (though this time seemingly reluctant), angering Kyungsoo.

“Can’t you talk?” he demands, knowing he’s being insensitive but not caring. He’s trying to protect the people he considers his family (don’t tell Chanyeol) from someone who  _sometimes has yellow eyes and Kyungsoo for the life of himself cannot remember why that’s not good_ —

“D.O., captain of Cloud 9?” a gruff voice interrupts from the entrance to the hanger.

Kyungsoo and Kai both turn their attention to the newcomer, another Noghri (though this time gray in color). The man is holding a paper-wrapped package under one arm and is dragging a floating storage container behind him.

Kyungsoo clears his throat. “Yes?”

The Noghri moves towards him, handing him the package. “This is the delivery for Endor. Boss has had the coordinates sent to your system.”

Kyungsoo accepts the package and brings his wrist ComLink to his mouth. “Hey, Joonmyeon, did you receive the coordinates from Hyunsik?”

The ComLink crackles as Joonmyeon responds, “ _Mmhm, all set here_.”

Kyungsoo then points to the storage container. “What’s that?”

“Boss said it was a surprise for the ship, didn’t tell me what,” the Noghri says with a shrug.

Well,  _that_  sounds safe. But unless Hyunsik had some grudge Kyungsoo doesn’t know about, he highly doubts it’s something dangerous. “All right, we’ll take it from here.”

The Noghri leaves as silently as he appeared, leaving Kyungsoo and Kai alone again.

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh, running a hand through his short hair. “Be useful and get that to the cargo hold. We’ll crack it open once we’re in hyperspace.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t give Kai time to respond, turning on his heels and making his way to the boarding ramp.

 

☆★☆

 

Cloud 9 is an unholy mess of a freighter. A poor, amateur combination of what Chanyeol suspects is a YT-2000 and the ass end of a YT-2550, the ship stands 140 meters tall. While the starship maintains the typical YT-series saucer shape with an added curved top, it differs in the way that it consists of three levels rather than the standard one. The first level consists of a cargo hold, medical bay, and engines room. The medical bay is defunct, as none of the crew knew any first aid past rubbing alcohol and bandages. (Chanyeol uses the fridge in there to store his snacks so Kyungsoo and Junmyeon can’t steal them.) The engines room is Chanyeol’s domain, and the other two crewmembers usually stay away, ignoring the sounds of tripping and the faint smell of smoke until Chanyeol yells for help.

The second floor is perhaps the busiest level. It holds the communal areas such as the bedrooms, the kitchen, and the lounge. The ship has eight rather small rooms, but the personal half-bathroom in each makes up in privacy for what it lacks in space. The bedrooms are situated toward the stern of the ship, the lounge and kitchen toward the bow. Two hallways at the ends of the bedroom stretch lead to the port and starboard turrets, which are rarely used. The kitchen is an open plan, connecting directly to the lounge with no wall between. The lounge has a large, circular table that served as a dinner table. Down a hallway stemming from the lounge are the cockpit and navigation room where Kyungsoo and Junmyeon spend most of their time. The cockpit is situated a few feet below the navigation room (though “compartment” may be a more suitable term), the two connected by a three steps of stairs. The navigation room has a fully functioning hologram table, equipped with every published official map along with some of the unofficial (read: illegal) maps Kyungsoo’s father documented on The Star. The cockpit holds two seats, one for the pilot and another for the copilot. (Currently the seat is used as a footrest when the Cloud was cruising in hyperspace.) A ladder in the navigation room accessed the overhead turret.

On the third level lies the observation room. This room is peculiar in the sense that it’s smaller than the two lower floors. Covered in windows, anyone can lay down on the floor and watch distant stars glide by. A control board on the wall allows for a metal covering to hide the windows, and it usually stays that way. A metal bench surrounds the entire perimeter of the room, leading Kyungsoo to think that the previous owners of Cloud were fans of stargazing. He’s still unsure what to do with the empty room, so it remains an untouched place for relaxation when Chanyeol’s loud voice becomes too much. An elevator with three flights of stairs bordering it connects all three levels.

The Cloud came modified with an extra engine and boosters in order to create a faster ship, and with Chanyeol’s further tinkering the ship’s ability increased. The hyperdrive is,  _yes_ , a bit outdated, but it functions perfectly fine—for the next two years at least—and Kyungsoo can’t afford to buy a new one. The ship is bulky for its size and is rather difficult to maneuver, but Kyungsoo wouldn’t change it for the world.

(And not just because he can’t afford to buy another one. The ship is so ugly and chunky that he can’t help but love it, like one of those hairless, toothless dogs.)

Kyungsoo doesn’t know what the original color of the ship is, but he thanks the stars that the previous crew was smart enough to have it painted a dark metallic coal, satisfying Kyungsoo’s heart of the same shade. The exterior has white accents, making the ship appear as if it arrived from dark space.

Kyungsoo takes the stairs to the second floor, moving past the bedrooms and through the lounge. Junmyeon is already seated at the navigation table, plotting their route for hyperspace.

“So, how’s Kai?” the navigator asks without taking his eyes off the hologram projections in front of him.

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh, placing the package for Endor on the copilot’s seat before flopping into his own chair. He twists the seat to look up at Junmyeon. “He’s mute and it’s uncomfortable.”

Kyungsoo watches Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow. “That’s really insensitive, Soo.”

“I know nothing about him other than Hyunsik trusts him, for some odd reason.”

“Shouldn’t that be enough? Hyunsik doesn’t take just anyone in.”

Kyungsoo remains silent for a moment, leaning on his hand. “Any idea how long it’ll be before we’re out of here?”

Junmyeon smiles proudly when he finishes setting the course, turning to Kyungsoo to give him his full attention. “Well, the routes set. Weather seems good, no meteor showers. Chanyeol’s just gotta prep the engines, so we’ll definitely be out within the hour.”

Prepping the engines really didn’t take long, but the more time the engines were given to heat up the better they ran. Repeated constant take offs would eventually ruin both the engines and the boosters, so Chanyeol liked to take his time when they were on friendly planets.

Kyungsoo nods, leaning back in his chair.

“Where  _is_  Kai, by the way?”

The pilot looks away, feeling a little guilty about abandoning the bodyguard outside the ship.

Junmyeon lets out a hefty sigh. “Honestly, Kyungsoo, you’re acting like a child. This trip is going to be hell if you keep acting like this.”

“There’s something wrong with him!” Kyungsoo shouts, trying to defend himself. “I saw his eyes turn yellow. That’s not normal.”

“There are plenty of species in the galaxy with yellow eyes—“

“He’s human, though! Unless he’s diseased or something, his eyes shouldn’t turn yellow.”

“What if he  _is_  diseased—“

Kyungsoo lets out a loud, dramatic groan, cutting off the elder. “You try way too hard to see the good in everyone.”

“Well, with you being antisocial and Chanyeol being a recluse in the engines room,” Junmyeon huffs, “ _someone’s_  gotta be the nice and welcoming one on this ship.”

“Can you please be nice and welcoming in the cargo hold where I may or may not have abandoned Kai, the diseased human?” Kyungsoo asks, purposely widening his already large eyes to create an innocent look.

Junmyeon rolls his eyes and stands up, leaving Kyungsoo alone in the cockpit.

 _Please let the trip to Rishi be quick and painless_ , he prays, but the tug in his gut tells him otherwise.

 

☆★☆

 

Kai stares at the tiny captain’s retreating back, biting his lower lip to stop him from retorting. He  _needs_  this trip, and he’s not about to allow his mouth ruin it for him. That’s happened enough times already. Staying silent and doing what they say is the best course of action, he’s learned over the past two years.

 _But this dumb little captain_. Who the hell does he think he is, talking to Kai like that? He hasn’t done anything other than beat up a few thugs. Yeah, he was a stranger, but what has he done to be treated like a common criminal? Absolutely nothing, that’s what.

Kai closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, swallowing his pride and leading the shipping container to the cargo hold. 

The starship is... _interesting_ , to say the least. Kai assumes it’s a combination of a few of the Corellian Engineering Corporation’s YT-series, easily identifiable by the saucer shape. It looks like two and a half bodies stacked on top of each other, with the top level creating a dome shape. The cockpit is in the center, rather than off to the side like the earlier YT-models.

Kai can’t contain his snort. It looks like a mess, in all honesty. He’s surprised it runs properly with all the added weight; the crew must have made major modification to ensure it wouldn’t explode while in hyperspace.

Once he enters the hold, he’s unsure where to place the floating cargo. Spotting a group of boxes in the corner, the bodyguard places the cargo next to them before leaning down to turn off the magnets that keep the cargo afloat. The box crashes to the floor with a bang; Kai hopes there’s nothing fragile in there.

He glances at the ramp before shrugging and wandering down the hall. Not his fault that D.O.—or is it Kyungsoo?—left him alone and didn’t tell him how to close it.

While the exterior of the starship is dark, the interior is the opposite. The halls are covered in light gray metal with wires haphazardly dangling from the walls and ceilings. Some spots of the hallway emit puffs of vapor, which can’t possible be safe, but what does Kai know? His expertise is in fighting, not maintaining ships.

The first doorway he decides to enter looks like a medical bay. There are two seats that are attached to the wall by beams, probably acting as cots. The room is equipped with heart monitors and other weird devices Kai can’t name. There’s a mini fridge in the corner, and from what Kai can see there are bags of food stored in it. Other than that, the place is very neat, if not a little dusty.

Finding nothing else of interest the medical bay, he walks back out into the hallway, following the hallway even further.

 It’s not long before another doorway comes into view ahead of him, and he curiously sticks his head inside. The room is darker than the hallway, lit up by blue lights emitting from large cylinders placed around the room. Screens line the walls next to each cylinder, showing statuses and statistics Kai can even begin to comprehend. Each screen has a loading symbol on it, and the hum of the engines becomes louder with every passing second.

Kai flicks his head to the left, sensing a large presence approaching his side. The bodyguard pushes himself against the wall, quieting his breath. The footsteps ring across the metal grates, and Kai can tell just by the sound that it’s the tall crewmember, the one with the twitchy eye and unsettlingly large smile. The man is humming something under his breath, a tune Kai recognizes at the current hot galactic girl group song.

Kai peeks his head around the corner, spotting the engineer by one of the engines. He continues humming as he pushes buttons on the screen beside the engine, more symbols and numbers appearing that Kai doesn’t understand. He watches the engineer a bit longer before he senses another presence, this time in the hallway behind him. Kai immediately straightens up and tries to make a run for it. The last thing he needs is the crew kicking him out for sneaking around.

However, the navigator (Junmon? Junmen?) rounds the corner before Kai can get anywhere.

The navigator’s eyes light up when he spots the bodyguard. “Ah, there you are!”

Kai stills, looking over at the navigator. He gives what he hopes is a polite bow in greeting, choosing to stay silent.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” the navigator says when he stops in front of Kai, a small smile on his lips. At least he’s not angry. “Kyungsoo wanted me to show you around before we take off. I see you found the engines room.”

Kai nods, trying to stay pleasant.

“That’s Chanyeol’s room. We don’t go in usually because we don’t like being reminded what a rust bucket this ship has become, but I’m sure he won’t mind. We never got properly introduced, anyway.” The small navigator quickly turns his attention to the interior of the engines room. “Chanyeol! Come say hi!”

The engineer whines, a noise that sounds freaky in his deep ass voice. “Do I have to?”

Kai holds back a scoff.  _Sorry it’s taking so much out of your time to tell me your name—_

The navigator’s face darkens, his smile dropping, before he stomps in, grabs Chanyeol by his huge ear, and drags him back to Kai. All the while the giant is chanting  _ow_ , his face contorted in pain. The pair stops right in front of Kai, and the navigator twists Chanyeol’s ear when the engineer doesn’t say anything.

“ _Ow_! Damn, Junmyeon, give me a second!” Chanyeol yells, and the navigator lets go of his ear to allow him to stand straight.

Kai is tall, but the engineer stands at least three inches taller than him, and he completely towers over the two short crewmembers. Everything about him screams  _unstable_ , from his round eyes and crazy brown hair.

“I’m Chanyeol,” the engineer says, adding a little bow when the navigator makes a move to smack him. “I keep the engines running. If you ever need anything from me, I’m down here. It’s nice to see another normal sized guy around here— _ow_ , goddamn, Junmyeon! Just don’t touch anything in here and we’ll get along fine.”

Kai gives a bow in response.

The navigator turns to Kai, a smile on his face again. Chanyeol takes this as a chance to escape back to his preparations.

“You’ve met Kyungsoo, the captain and pilot. Sorry about him, he’s a bit rough around the edges at first. He cares more about us than he lets on. You’ll grow on him,” Junmyeon says sunnily, before murmuring, “I hope so.” The navigator smiles again like nothing happened. “I’m Junmyeon. My title is navigator, but I do just about everything else on this ship that doesn’t involve piloting or fixing.”

Kai gives him a bow. With a bitchy pilot and insane engineer, the neurotic navigator seems to be sanest out of the trio.

“Wow, you really don’t talk,” Junmyeon says before sputtering, “not that there’s anything wrong with that! We don’t discriminate on the Cloud. If we did, Chanyeol sure as hell wouldn’t have been allowed to step foot in here!”

“You can’t live without me, Joonie!” the engineer yells from inside the engines room.

Junmyeon roll his eyes but he tries (and fails) to stop his lips from quirking into a grin. “Why don’t I show you around now?”

Kai follows the navigator, refraining from commenting on the rather amusing scene.

As Junmyeon leads them towards the stairs, he takes on the tone of a tour guide. “This is the first level. It houses the engine room, as you just saw; the cargo hold (by the way, thanks for putting the storage container in there); and the med bay that we never use because none of us can preform first aid. Honestly, you’d think after years of getting into mishaps together we’d learn  _something_...Anyway don’t get hurt too badly and you’ll survive. Chanyeol’s the only one who really spends time down here, while Kyungsoo and I stay mostly on the second level.” The navigator continues to ramble, “it would be in your best interest to use the stairs unless you physically can’t; the elevator is unpredictable and I was stuck in there for two hours before Chanyeol managed to get me out. In  _my_  opinion we should spend money on fixing that instead of buying XX seventy somethings, but who listens to me? Not Chanyeol, that’s for sure.”

Kai follows mindlessly, having blocked out the navigator after he started talking about first aid.

Junmyeon, facing forward and trusting Kai is following him (the man’s footsteps are as silent as he is), doesn’t notice. The first flight of stairs opens up to another circular hallway, the sides lined with sliding doors. Each door has a keypad placed on the left.

“This is the sleeping quarters. There are eight rooms, and if the keypads are green that means no one has claimed it. The password is optional but trust me, you’re gonna want a break from us every once in a while.”

 _I already do_.

“The two smaller hallways on each sides lead to turrets, which we rarely use,” Junmyeon explains, pointing to one the starboard side before muttering, “ _not that we know how to use them_.”

So the navigator has a thing for talking to himself, huh? Kai’s starting to wish he stayed on Elerion longer.

Junmyeon mentions the commons room as they pass through, and Kai notes the open floor plan. The room has a lot of unused space, considering the only things occupying it are a kitchen and a large round dinner table.

“The crew before us had a pretty cool pool table in here, but Chanyeol set that on fire last year after got his hands on a lighter with a few bottles of Ebla in his system,” Junmyeon mentions in passing with a sigh. “Nice things don’t last long around here, so we usually don’t bother.”

Even after only knowing Chanyeol for about ten minutes, Kai can see the giant engineer as a pyromaniac.

Junmyeon gestures to another hallway that splits off from the lounge. “That’s where the navigation room and cockpit are. If you ever need something from me, I’ll probably be in there along with Kyungsoo. Access to the overhead turret is also in there.”

Kai nods, glancing around the room. Honestly, he just wanted some place quiet where he could stay to avoid the crew. He’s thankful that the crew of Cloud 9 is willing to take him to Rishi, but he was not looking to make friends. Friends would only drag him down in the grand scheme of things.

Junmyeon leads him back towards the stairs. “The last floor is the observation deck, but there’s not much to look at while in hyperspace.”

The stairs lead into a dark, empty room. Kai walks into the middle, finally interested in one of the rooms. It would make for a good training room, he supposes.

Junmyeon stayed by the entrance, his hands folded behind his back. “No one really comes up here since we’re in a hyperspace a lot, but you’re welcome to spend time up here. The control panel opens up the roof so you can see space. The light controls are on here, too—its nothing fantastic, but at least it lights up the ground in front of you.” Junmyeon gives the bodyguard a smile. “So, that’s Cloud 9. You’re free to go wherever you want. We should be taking off soon, though, so I would suggest coming to the navigation room so you have somewhere stable to sit. The ride out of the atmosphere can get pretty bumpy.”

Kai nods, turning back around to look at the room again. The bench surrounding the perimeter of the room looked uncomfortable, but maybe he’ll be able to sneak some pillows and blankets up here.

The bodyguard can hear Junmyeon shuffle around awkwardly from behind him, and Kai feels like he owes the man  _something_ for being so welcoming to a silent stranger.

“ _Thank you_.” Kai’s eyes widen a bit about how scratchy his voice is from disuse—he sounds like he's been smoking for much longer than he's been alive.

Kai turns around when Junmyeon stays silent. He holds in a snort when he sees the navigator gaping at him.

Junmyeon quickly regains his sense, closing his mouth and giving another smile. “Oh, uh, you’re welcome! Don’t hesitate to ask me if you need anything. Make yourself at home. I’m going back to the navigation room; I’ll make an announcement when we plan to take off, so just head down then.” The tiny navigator gives a small bow before making his way back down the stairs, leaving Kai in the dark room.

The bodyguard rolls his shoulders before walking over to the bench and sitting down. He leans his head against the glass pane, finally getting his peace and quiet.

Working for Hyunsik was exhausting to say the least. The crime prince is friendly, sure, but that didn’t make up for the amount of shit the guy got himself into. At least once a day someone would try to take Hyunsik out, and it was Kai’s responsibility to keep the shit stirrer alive. Most of the times Kai could take them out with hand-to-hand combat, but sometimes—the bodyguard runs a hand over the hilt of his concealed weapon—the thugs were a bit more powerful. Thankfully, those who saw his weapon in action never lived to tell anyone, and Hyunsik swore himself to secrecy. The crime prince may constantly get into trouble, but he knows the importance of a secret, considering Kai’s life is on the line the longer he carries the weapon around.

Keeping his sense sharp for a disturbance in the Force, Kai cautiously unsheathes his weapon from his hip holster, pulling it out. The hilt it long, created from two pieces (the bottom part longer than the top) held together by an inch of metal. That inch of metal is decorated with etchings, the most prominent being the image of a roaring bear. The guard is circular, held to the base by thick metal lines that create a spiral.

It’s a family heirloom, as are all lightsabers in this day and age. The Jedi Order no longer existed, disbanded hundreds of years ago when it was decided that the Force-sensitive were at the root of all wars. The Sith, those trained in the dark ways of the Force, were often the catalyst for wars and the Jedi, those trained in the light ways of the Force, were often called upon in combat. The then Galactic Senate issued the removal of the Sith, calling upon the Jedi to help in the fight. The war spanned seven long years, many losing their lives. Eventually, with all the Sith Lords confirmed dead or imprisoned, the war ended. The Jedi Knights that fought so valiantly beside the Senate were told to relinquish their rights and weapons to the Senate, and vow to never train another Force-sensitive.

It’s only natural that some Jedi refused to step down. The Jedi Order was supposed to be an independent government—aids to the Senate but free of their jurisdiction. Many tried to rebel, and many died. It was only until the Jedi Grand Master, head of the Jedi Council and the Jedi Order, stepped in and told them to stand down did the majority of Jedi concede. However, some went into hiding, managing to escape with their lightsabers.

The Senate may have eliminated the Jedi and the Sith, but they would never be able to stop the will of the Force. Disbanding the Jedi Order did not stop the births of Force-sensitives. Those that escaped with their lightsabers passed on the lightsaber to their eldest Force-sensitive child, and the legacy of the Jedi was told by mouth. As the centuries passed the world forgot about the Jedi and the Sith, recalling them as myths from a time long ago. Sith were equated to the common boogey-man story, while the alignment of the Jedi varied by planet.

Kai knows the history of the Jedi by heart, forced to memorize the plight of his ancestors before his father allowed him to pick up his training sword.

The bodyguard places the end of the lightsaber to his forehead, letting out a shaky breath. His father is still a sore subject.

Kai opens his eyes when the intercom crackles to life with Junmyeon’s voice. “Take off in five minutes.”

The bodyguard stands up, sheathing his weapon once again before making his way down the stairs to the navigation room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support! There's still one more chapter up on AFF, so I'll be transferring that over within the week.


	3. I.III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY I KEPT FORGETTING I WAS POSTING THIS STORY ON HERE NOW AHHH

Kyungsoo is still in the pilot seat when Junmyeon returns, looking at the directions Hyunsik sent to the Cloud’s system. Not bothering to look up, Kyungsoo deadpans, “The package is for one of Hyunsik’s crazy ass friends that lives in an Ewok village.”

“Well, what’s so wrong with that? It must be nice being so close to nature.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and lets out a groan. “Why are you always like this?”

“Like what?” Junmyeon scoffs. “Nice? Accepting? Non-judgmental?”

“Annoying.”

“Well, I may be annoying but I’m the only person Kai has spoken to,” Junmyeon says smugly.

Kyungsoo spins his chair to face Junmyeon. “What? He can speak?” Kyungsoo exclaims, his mouth gaping. “And why would he speak to _you_?”

Junmyeon glares at the captain from the navigation table. “You know, I’m not as annoying and worrisome as you and Chanyeol make me out to be. I’m cool.”

“Yeah, okay,” Kyungsoo says curtly, dismissing the statement with a wave his hand. “Anyway, what’s his voice sound like?”

Junmyeon shrugs smugly. “I dunno. Why don’t you get him to talk to you?”

“You’re only further proving that you’re annoying.”

“He only said ‘thank you’.  I didn’t stop to analyze his voice.” Junmyeon pauses to think before shrugging again. “It’s deep?”

“Like me deep or Chanyeol deep?”

“I dunno, you? I guess. Who cares, honestly? I’m sure he’ll speak to you sooner or later.” Junmyeon stops, looking at Kyungsoo. “Maybe later rather than sooner since you’ve been pretty nasty to him.”

Kyungsoo opens his mouth to retort, but there’s no point. He _has_ been nasty to Kai, but for a good reason—to him, at least. Kyungsoo sighs, feeling a headache coming on. He’s thinking too hard about this. “Do yellow eyes really not register to you?”

“You’re still hung up on that?”

The pilot rubs his temples to soothe the dull ache, closing his eyes. “Because I know it means something bad, but I can’t remember why.”

Junmyeon gives Kyungsoo one of his worried, motherly looks that he’s perfected over the years. “I’ll look into it if it’s causing you so much stress. But you should still treat Kai with a little more respect. You always complain about Chanyeol being too loud, but now you’re complaining about someone being too quiet?”

Kyungsoo shuts up, unwilling to fight a battle he knows he’ll lose. He doesn’t expect Junmyeon to understand his apprehension of Kai. Junmyeon didn’t see the yellow glint; all he’s seen is the quiet and respectful bodyguard.

“Ugh, _whatever_.” Kyungsoo can’t help it when his inner angsty teenager comes out around Junmyeon. He never really went through that stage in his life, what with being forced to grow up quickly and help his father with business. He quickly discovered Junmyeon’s Mom tendencies usually awakened those unused emotions. “I’ll stop talking about the eyes.” Doesn’t mean he won’t stop thinking about them, though.

The response appeases the elder. “I told Kai he should sit in here during take off, so be nice to him when he shows up, okay?”

“Yes, mom.”

Junmyeon—unfazed as he has long accepted the role of ship mother—smiles. “Great!” The navigator turns back to the navigation table, much more relaxed.

Kyungsoo, however, slumps down in his chair like the true five year old he is and uses his feet to turn his chair back toward the control panels. “When’s take off? I just want to get this trip over with.”

“The engines should finish heating up soon—“

Chanyeol’s deep voice booms through the intercom system, interrupting the navigator. “ _Yo, the engines are ready whenever you are, cap_.”

“Thank the stars,” Kyungsoo sighs out, straightening up and adjusting the settings for take off.

“Thanks, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon responds, checking the hyperspace course once again. One could never be _too_ careful. “Everyone get ready for departure. Lift off in five minutes.”

Kyungsoo busies himself with preparing the Cloud, ignoring the sound of footsteps that enter the navigation room.

“Hello, Kai,” greets Junmyeon’s cheerful voice.

Kyungsoo doesn’t hear a response from the quiet bodyguard, and he refuses to turn around and even look at the navigation table.

 _Ha, you boasted about him talking to you but what about now, huh?_ Kyungsoo mentally snorts.

“Chanyeol, you ready?” Kyungsoo asks through the intercom.

“ _Yeah_.”

“Junmyeon?”

“Strapped in tight like a mynock to a starship!”

Kyungsoo pauses for a moment, rolling his eyes and facepalming in secondhand embarrassment. He can only imagine that Kai is staring at the navigator in confusion. (He is.) Choosing to stay quiet, Kyungsoo sighs in response before starting the take off sequence. The old starship rumbles as Kyungsoo eases it off the ground. Once the Cloud is clear of the hanger walls, he turns on the thrusters and maneuvers the ship towards the atmosphere.

The sight of open space always creates a spark in Kyungsoo’s soul no matter how many times he takes off. He was born in the middle of the stars and called no planet his; he supposes it will always feel like he’s returning home.

Once out of the atmosphere, Kyungsoo begins to ready the Cloud for the jump to lightspeed.

“How are the calculations?” Kyungsoo calls behind him. Jumping to lightspeed was no easy feat, no matter that size of the starship. One miscalculation could lead to Cloud 9 speeding into a supernova, and while that would solve many of Kyungsoo’s problems he’d rather not meet his end because of simple laziness.  

“The navcomputer is working on it. Give it a minute,” Junmyeon responds.

Kyungsoo maintains the starship’s speed, directing the Cloud through the bulk freighters sitting just outside Elerion’s atmosphere. The Kushal Vogh Docking Bay (and most terrestrial hangars, for that matter) only serve small starships, forcing starships on the larger side of the spectrum to have smaller transport vessels onboard for surface trade.

“Calculations set for lightspeed,” Junmyeon reports.

“Activating hyperdrive.” Kyungsoo promptly reaches up to push a handle above him. Cloud 9 jerks as the white light of the stars blur into streaks, soon transforming into the azure tunnel of hyperspace.

“Route locked on. ETA four days.” Junmyeon reports. “Everyone’s free to move around now.”

The squeak of one of the navigation chairs moving catches Kyungsoo’s attention. He thanks the stars that he only sees Kai’s broad retreating back rather than making awkward eye contact with the bodyguard.

Once the footsteps disappear, Kyungsoo lets out a loud yawn and stretches his arms. He sets the ship on autopilot before leaning back as far as he can. Exhaustion is finally catching up to him after being awake for nearly twenty-four hours.

“I’m taking a nap,” the pilot warns Junmyeon. “Wake me up if something happens.”

Junmyeon simply nods, observing their course on the blue holographic map projected in front of him. Their ship is a small, blinking orange dot on the map. White lines indicate approved hyperlanes, or routes deemed safe by the Galactic Union for hyperspace travel. There were five major hyperlanes, called super-hyperroutes, with thousands of smaller routes that sprout from them and branch around the galaxy. Traveling outside of hyperlanes is an efficient method of suicide, and while Kyungsoo likes his fair share of danger, plowing straight into a supernova at lightspeed is not the most dignified way to go. Hyperlanes also made traveling across the galaxy more efficient; one could travel to the opposite side of the galaxy in a matter of hours. At normal speed that trip would take hundreds, maybe _thousands_ , of years.

Unfortunately, Endor did not sit on a super-hyperroute. Currently the Cloud was traveling through the Perlemian Trade Route to get through to the Core, which would probably take only a few hours. Once in the core, Junmyeon plans to jump onto the Corellian Trade Spine in order to reach the south end of the Mid Rim, which would take a few more hours. From there, the Cloud would have to transfer to a secondary route traveling southwest to arrive at the southwestern Outer Rim planet of Endor. This is where the bulk of the trip will be; secondary hyperlanes are often slower than the frequently traveled super-hyperroutes.

The creak of the old ship as it moves through hyperspace lull Kyungsoo into a sense of familiarity and comfort. He passes out easily.

 

☆★☆

 

Kyungsoo jolts awake when he feels a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Chanyeol’s started to complain over the intercom about how his stomach is threatening to eat itself,” Junmyeon says simply.

As if on cue, Chanyeol’s voice whines throughout the ship, “ _Kyungsoooooooo....I’m hungryyyyy_.”

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the pilot reaches over to push the intercom button on the control panel. “Cook for yourself. You’re not five.”

“ _But food always taste better when you make it,_ ” Chanyeol tries to flatter.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes; the only way to get the giant to shut up is to make dinner. “ _Stars_ , fine.”

Leaving Junmyeon in the cockpit, Kyungsoo walks towards the kitchen. Being born and living on a starship for most of his life, Kyungsoo has learned the art of making the most out of what he has on hand. Having a crew of humans was easier for the pilot as he didn’t have to consider dietary restrictions of other species. Food synthesizers are often found on starships for convenience and efficiency, but Kyungsoo’s mother’s instance on the use of real food has stuck with the pilot since he was a small child.

Kyungsoo decides on a simple soup, seeing as they had vegetables that needed to be used and a couple more jars of Chanyeol’s dewback stock. He makes a mental note to ask Junmyeon to locate a market when they’re in the Core and have to move to the Corelian Spine Trade checkpoint. They can probably survive the four days on what they have left, but Endor was considered primitive by the Galactic Union. That’s Pretentious Bullshit—the official language of the GU—for no supermarket.

The soup cooks relatively quickly, and when Kyungsoo announces its done Chanyeol’s heavy footsteps up the stairs can be heard around the ship.

Kyungsoo tries to hide his grin when the giant engineer bursts in lounge area, cutting off Kai in the entranceway. The bodyguard lets out a grunt, his lips terse.

Chanyeol throws a “sorry!” over his shoulder, but the pot of stew Kyungsoo left on the table consumes his attention.

“Pro tip for life on the Cloud,” Kyungsoo says to Kai as he walks by. The man stops, his hooded head turning to the pilot. “Don’t get between Chanyeol and food when he’s hungry.”

Kai stays silent, but dips his head in acknowledgement, which only serves to piss of Kyungsoo. That blasted hood is officially the bane of his entire existence. Emotions lies within the eyes, and Kyungsoo feels uncomfortable being so... _unaware_ the man. Kyungsoo doesn’t even understand why he’s so frustrated about the hood; he usually functions on a no-questions-asked basis, fine transporting a lot if it means his crew will survive.

 _But Kai_. Something about Kai rubs Kyungsoo the wrong way, and his desire to know what lies under the hood only grows by the minute. So he decides to be brat about it.

He sits down at the booth calmly, looking at Kai eat some rice and trying to ignore Chanyeol stuffing his face noisily. “You know, it’s kind of rude to cover your face during a meal.”

“ _Kyungsoo_!” Junmyeon hisses immediately.

The pilot feigns innocence, his eyes wide. “What? It’s true. If we’re going to be with him for a while, it’d be nice to see his face. Are you horribly disfigured above the nose?” Kai’s lips pull into a sneer, and Kyungsoo can barely hold back his smirk. “So? You ugly or something? We don’t judge.”

Chanyeol looks quickly the pilot and bodyguard, the noodles dangling in his mouth whipping with the motion.

The bodyguard slowly reaches his hands up and grips the edge of his hood. He pauses for a moment, his grip visibly tightening before he locks his jaw and pushes his hood off swiftly.

Kyungsoo feels the urge to simultaneously gasp and barf. His body gets stuck somewhere in between, leaving his mouth gaping open because _holy shit_. Every fiber in his body suddenly wants to murder Hyunsik for conning him into transporting this man.

Nobody told him Kai is absolutely fucking _gorgeous_.

Kyungsoo knows he comes off as an indifferent dick when it comes to assessing attractiveness, but he’s not _blind_. He’s not some sexless, celibate being that many seem to think he is due to his nonexistent reactions to physical beauty and appeal. In his line of business, concealing interest serves him much better than blatantly showing off his attraction, which could easily be manipulated. Kyungsoo has his preferences just like everyone else in the galaxy, and he reluctantly admits that Kai pretty much fulfills all those preferences.

For a bodyguard, Kai’s face is practically unblemished. Except for, like, two acne scars Kyungsoo can see, but if he faults the man for that than every human in the galaxy is unfit for his tastes. His jaw is sharp and defined, overall adding to his confident aura.

His eyes. The things that have been causing Kyungsoo migraines the second he was introduced to the guy. They’re sharp and calculating but droop towards the outer corner, giving Kai a permanent sleepy look. His eyes are _not_ yellow, but rather dark brown—nearly black. Kyungsoo glances at his plump lips for a millisecond before _nope-ing_ the fuck out of that area of Kai’s face. He looks _regal_ , and Kyungsoo is beginning to understand why he walks with such a poised swagger.

Kyungsoo doesn’t look around the table to see Junmyeon or Chanyeol’s reactions, but if he did he would notice that they’re not fairing any better than he is.

Kai seems to catch on that Kyungsoo’s prolonged stare is an appreciative one, because the man’s lips slightly quirk into a self-assured smirk. Oh, _fuck no_.

Kyungsoo quickly closes his mouth and narrows his eyes. “So you’re not horribly disfigured, fine. I’ve been wrong before.”

That answer only serves to boost Kai’s ego even more, seeing at his smirk just becomes wider. Kyungsoo glares back and receives narrowed eyes in response. The stare down lasts for a couple of seconds, and his heart begins to beat rapidly just like it did in Thriller.

“Okay, so I just found out why business has been so awful lately,” Junmyeon says, finally deciding breaking the tension. “Looks like some ambassadors to the GU are trying to start a New World Order, or something.”

Kyungsoo’s attention turns to Junmyeon. “What?”

“’Ambassador Minsuk Yang of Serenno has created a coalition consisting of smaller planets in support of creating a singular intergalactic government’—so another Senate?” he reads from his holopad.

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and scoffs, “Yeah right. The last time someone said that we ended up with an oppressive empire and an intergalactic civil war.”

“’The coalition rose to prominence in the aftermath of the Lothal City bombing that killed thirty people and injured fifty’.”

Both Junmyeon and Kyungsoo take a glance at Chanyeol, who seems unaffected at the news of his home being bombed.

“So, you gonna comment on your home planet being bombed or what?” Kyungsoo asks.

“What? Lothal?” Chanyeol scoffs. “That shithole hasn’t been my home planet since I was, like, eleven.” The giant turns to Kai and proudly proclaims, “I’m technically banned from there. Do you know how much shit you have to do to get banned from a planet that has no formal government? A lot.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “You’re not banned from Lothal, stop lying. You just can’t return because everyone wants you dead for something or other.”

“That’s as good as being banned!” Chanyeol protests, “and I will add it to my list of planets I legally can’t step foot on.”

Kai looks as lost as ever, his eyes darting between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo before he looks back to Junmyeon for some kind of explanation.

Junmyeon just sighs and continues reading, “’Similar bombings have happened around the galaxy, leading many to believe that a singular group is responsible. Ambassador Yang’s coalition consists of smaller planets—mostly from the Outer Rim—that believe a singular entity will provide more protection and easier policing’. That makes sense, I suppose. ‘Opposition to this coalition has risen from larger planets. One vocal opponent is Ambassador Jinyoung Park of Corellia, who believes that a single galactic authority imposes upon the power of a planet’s established government. ‘The Galactic Union was created to foster cooperation between planets, not rule over the galaxy,’ said Ambassador Park. ‘This coalition seeks to create a omnipresent government that controls every planet in the galaxy.’ Deliberations on the proposed intergalactic authority have become more aggressive due to recent bombings, and the Galactic Union is split down the middle on the issue’.  Stars, I’m so happy my parents allowed me to go astrogation school instead of forcing me to become a politician.”

“So business has been shitty because planets are being bombed and one ambassador wants to rule over the galaxy?” Chanyeol asks with his mouth full of noodles.

“Not rule over. I think Ambassador Park is twisting Ambassador Yang’s words too much. The man just seems to want to protect his planet, considering Serenno is kind of...”

“Nothing?” Kyungsoo supplies.

“For a lack of better word, yes. The coalition doesn’t seem malicious at all; at least, that’s what I gather from this article. Corellia is a lot more powerful than Serenno, and it seems the ambassadors backing Ambassador Park are from planets like Corellia. Core planets. Oh, and Naboo, it seems. Wow, Ambassador Kim is the last person I thought would side with Ambassador Park; her past positions would put her with Ambassador Yang.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kyungsoo watches Kai’s body tenses at the mention of Naboo, his jaw locking and his eyes hardening for a moment. After a moment, the tiny bit of emotion disappears and his face becomes blank again. Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on him for a moment longer before looking back to Junmyeon.

“Isn’t she the one who’s all about prayer circles and holding hands and shit?” Chanyeol asks.

“Yes, that’s her. Ambassador Taeyeon Kim.”

Kyungsoo leans back on the booth. “Who do you support? Gonna stick to your home planet’s stance or what?”

“I’ve never particularly liked Coruscant’s politics, but—“ Junmyeon sighs and bites his lip, trying to find the right words. “Look, I sympathize with Ambassador Yang. I think what’s happening is awful, but I don’t think that an overruling government is the answer. The Galactic Union is handling this horribly, though, which I guess is expected since the core members are all from Core planets. If they don’t do something, I definitely see another intergalactic civil war on our hands, this time between the Core and Outer Rim planets.”

“You really should’ve become a politician with how passionate you are about this stuff,” Chanyeol says.

“I was too ‘idealistic’ or whatever. Besides, where would you be without me?” Junmyeon grins and looks at Kyungsoo. “So, what do you think?”

“I honestly could care less. It’s not like I’m affiliated with any planet, so I’m not really affected by anything. It’s pretty awful that innocent people are dying, though. Can’t the GU make some police force or something?”

Junmyeon turns back to his holopad and scrolls through the articles. “Looks like Ambassador Yang’s coalition made one, but they haven’t found anything. They’re asking for more funding from the GU, but it seems they’ll be denied. People are blaming Ambassador Park for turning the GU against the Outer Rim planets.”

Chanyeol clears his throat obnoxiously. “Well, since no one is going to ask for _my_ opinion—“

“ _Oh, stars_.”

“Shut up, Soo. Anyway, I don’t want an intergalactic government because I don’t know how they’d treat my exiles and bans. I really like this galaxy.” As if it’s an after thought, the engineer adds, “you guys are pretty cool, too.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes before looking at Kai. “So, you gonna give an opinion on this mess?”

Kai blinks and glances around the room, probably surprised that Kyungsoo is even paying attention to him. He eventually shrugs in response and focuses back on his food.

The pilot shakes his head, muttering, “Figures.” But with the bodyguard’s response to Naboo, Kyungsoo was sure he was hiding something.

 _Be nice, Soo_ , he reminded himself with a deep breath before returning to his food as well.

Dinner ends quickly after that, the crew silent with the exception of slurping. Their voices rise again, however, when the dreaded task of cleaning the dishes comes up.

“I made the food so I don’t have to,” Kyungsoo says quickly, getting himself out of this daily argument as fast as possible. With how the crew treated cleaning the dishes, you’d think the dishes were covered in layers upon layers of crusted food and that the only cleaning products they have were water and a toothbrush.

“I did it last time,” Chanyeol says next.

“No you didn’t! I did! And that was the second time I did it in a row because you pulled the same bullshit last time. But ha! The jokes on you because I wrote it down to remember. Look!” And sure enough, on Junmyeon’s holopad the words, “I cleaned the dishes!” were written on a note made on a date from a few days ago. Junmyeon crosses his arms and grins proudly at the dejected engineer.

“Loser,” Chanyeol mutters.

“Yeah, well I don’t have to clean dishes tonight, so who’s the real loser here?”

Suddenly Chanyeol grins one of his wide, crazy grins that nearly reach his eyes. “Kai.”

The bodyguard’s eyes open wide when the crew of the Cloud all turn to look at him.

“Think of it as initiation,” Chanyeol continues. “Welcome to Cloud 9, buddy!” He slaps the man’s back in congratulations.

Kai lets out a quiet “oof” at the slap, his body jerking forward. He glares at the engineer

Kyungsoo shrugs, fine with the decision. “Everything you need is in the sink, bowls go in the cabinet to the right of the stove, pots and pans go in the lower cabinets next to the fridge.”

Kyungsoo slides out of the booth, Junmyeon and Chanyeol following him. Kyungsoo tries to hide his grin when he hears Kai let out an audible sigh before the clanging of bowls being collected.

 

☆★☆

 

Their journey to Endor is, thankfully, uneventful. Kyungsoo remembered to ask Junmyeon about stocking up a bit at the Corelian Spine Trade checkpoint, so they had more fruits and vegetables. (The meat was suspicious looking and when Junmyeon asked how long ago it was killed the seller became defensive and threatened to call guards on them so they left empty-handed.)

Kai stays on the observation deck unless he needs to eat, so Kyungsoo doesn’t worry about him much. So far, this mission was one of the Cloud’s tamest, and he really hopes it stays that way when they land on Endor.

The secondary hyperlane was just as boring as Kyungsoo predicted it would be. Junmyeon makes him walk around the ship for exercise after he’s let out his tenth sigh of boredom, and his wandering leads him back to the cargo hold. Hyunsik’s crate is still there, sitting idly where Kai dropped it. Curious and with nothing better to do, the pilot opens the crate and starts going through it.

“Hyunsik is an angel wrapped in leather,” Kyungsoo mutters out, sorting through the various snacks and drinks lining the box. A smaller, refrigerated crate is lies in the corner; inside is— _thank the stars_ —edible meat. He transports the crate to the kitchen, dutifully placing the food were it belongs. He’s halfway through the box when Junmyeon’s voice interrupts him.

“Endor is in sight,” Junmyeon’s voice rings throughout out the ship. “Prepare for landing.”

Kyungsoo leaves the kitchen, returning to his seat in the cockpit. Sure enough, in front of the ship lies forest moon of Endor, speckled with blue bodies of water.

“Wait until Kai gets here,” Junmyeon warns when he notices Kyungsoo reaching for the landing gear.

The pilot scoffs, settling back into the seat to wait for the bodyguard to show up. He stays focused on Endor as footsteps and the squeaking of a chair indicates Kai’s arrival.

“Now?” Kyungsoo asks petulantly.

“Now.”

“Starting landing cycle.” And so Cloud 9 starts its bumpy descent into the forest of Endor.

 

☆★☆

 

“So, the drop off point is about a mile north of here,” Junmyeon says as the four men exit the Cloud. He points in the direction of the thick forest straight ahead of them. “It should take about twenty minutes or so to get there.”

Kyungsoo hummed before turning to Chanyeol. “You got your bomb purse?”

“It’s a _satchel_ and yes.” The giant man proudly pats the bag sitting on his waist. “I’m prepared for any rabid Ewoks.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and shakes his head before glancing at Kai. The hooded man looks tense, his back stick straight. He keeps swiveling his head, like a cat trying to find the source of a sound. “You okay there?”

The bodyguard startles, his mouth open slightly in shock. Kyungsoo sees the man gulp before he nods and moves to follow Junmyeon, his pace quick.

Kyungsoo glares at the man’s back; that’s all he gets for being concerned? “ _Incredible_. C’mon, giant.”

The forests of Endor were breathtaking, Kyungsoo had to admit. The trees seemed to disappear into the sky, and the wind running through the leaves created a calming atmosphere. Sounds of animals also fill the forest. Kyungsoo can see why Hyunsik’s friend lived out here.

The calm doesn’t seem to extend to Kai, though. The man remains jumpy, flicking his head back and forth between the trees.

“There’s something up with him,” Kyungsoo mutters.

“You’ve literally been saying that since he got on the Cloud,” Chanyeol responds, a bit absentmindedly as he takes in the scenery.

“Do you not see how nervous he is? Look at him!” he whispers harshly.

Chanyeol takes a look at the bodyguard’s back. “Maybe he doesn’t like nature. I can respect tht.”

“ _Stars_ , you’re just like Junmyeon,” the pilot groans.

“You need to loosen up, Soo,” Chanyeol says before looking back at the scenery. “This place is so pretty, holy shit...”

Realizing he’s officially alone in his bitterness, Kyungsoo crosses his arms and leaves the engineer behind. The walk continues in silence, with Chanyeol’s little “oohs” puncturing the calming atmosphere. Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on Kai’s tense back, the man twitching at even the slightest sound. He tries to focus on the sounds like the bodyguard, ignoring the sounds of their footsteps. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen slightly when he hears extra pairs of footsteps headed their way.

“Ah, we’re almost there, should be about ten minutes—“

“Junmyeon, duck!” Kyungsoo shouts as a battle droid bursts out from the brush in front of them, its blasters blazing

All of them scatter to the sides, Kai pulling Junmyeon to safety. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo hide behind one of the trees as more two more droids walk out from behind the trees ahead. Voices yelling in Galactic Basic emanate from behind the droids, having them surrounded.

They are utterly _fucked_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Kyungsoo's Birthday/Kaisoo Day.  
> This chapter got no feedback on AFF, so I'm not exactly sure if the readers actually enjoyed it? I'd appreciate some form of criticism. Thank you!  
> I might come back and edit this at some point...


	4. I.IV

Kai knows there is something wrong with the forest as soon as they exit the Cloud. Something was disturbing the Force in the area, something... _hostile_. Rather than causing hysteria among the Cloud 9 crew, he chooses to stay quiet but vigilant. The off feeling becomes stronger once they enter the forest. Kai’s not hiding his nervousness well, if Kyungsoo’s harsh whispers are anything to judge by. But he has more important things to worry about than a prickly midget pilot who refuses to trust him (and may also have a thing for him indicating from his flustered face after Kai finally took off his hood).

Kai keeps his senses open, reacting to even the smallest movements. He can feel something approaching them. Multiple somethings. Animals? Friendly locals, perhaps? No, that couldn’t be it. Three things weren’t giving off life and were moving faster than the other disturbances. Vehicles?

Suddenly, it’s as if the entire forest shuts down; all the environmental noises stop. Kai’s breath hitches as the found of heavy footsteps reach his ears, accompanied by the unmistakable sounds of moving machinery.

Kai barely hears Junmyeon. “Ah, we’re almost there, should be about ten minutes—“

“Junmyeon, duck!” comes Kyungsoo’s frantic voice as soon as a battle droid emerges in front of them. The machine stands an intimidating three meters and is covered in gunmetal armor. It holds out one arm before it—a built in blaster. It’s red gaze lands onto Kai and Junmyeon, the optics pulsing as it focuses on its targets.

Kai’s body kicks into survival mode. He grabs Junmyeon by his arm and pulls him behind a tree as the red energy from the droid’s blasters penetrates the forest ground where they were previously standing. Kai looks behind them and sees that Kyungsoo and Chanyeol thankfully managed to find cover.

Voices from further ahead reach Kai’s ears; he lets out a quiet curse in his native tongue.

“What is that?” Junmyeon asks in shock. “Where did it come from?”

“Battle droid,” he explains, his voice still scratchy from underuse. “Military-grade.”

Kai senses something coming up beside them, and quickly maneuvers Junmyeon out of the way from another battle droid’s range.

“And just when I thought this was going to be a peaceful trip...” Junmyeon huffs before unsheathing his blaster from his waist holster. He aims over the log they’re hidden behind and fires, hitting the droid on its weak leg joint. The droid becomes unstable, its blaster shooting randomly as if it’s giving a last stand, hoping that it will get a lucky shot. Junmyeon quickly takes out another leg and the droid falls to the forest floor, exposing its vulnerable neck. With one well-aimed shot, Junmyeon pierces the head, damaging the processor and shutting down the droid. The navigator lets out a shout of triumph that devolves into a shriek when Kai pulls him toward another cover as the original battle droid turns its sensors toward their position. Bullets rain around them as Kai rushes them toward a dip in the ground, hoping to find some safety for a moment.

Kai pulls Junmyeon down onto the ground with him to avoid the blaster fires that narrowly miss his arm. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo watch them from their position behind a tree further back, both looking with wide eyes and terrified expressions.

“It’s moving closer!” Chanyeol calls out to them.

“So blow it up!” Junmyeon yells back indignantly. 

Kai watches Chanyeol throw a tiny black sphere with a blinking red light toward the original battle droid. The movements stop and Kai moves his head to look over the ledge. The machine stops in its tracks and tries to inspect it closely as the blinking red light increases in speed before it stops completely. The droid is given a millisecond before it’s enveloped in the flames of an explosion with enough power to cause Kai to stagger backwards.

He barely has time to regain his balance when another battle droid literally _rolls_ up behind them. The droid transforms from its spherical shape and stands on three legs. A purple shield immediately generates around it, and it doesn’t hesitate to fire its twin blasters. Kai and Junmyeon both jump to different sides in order to avoid the blasts. The barrage follows them, as the new droid is able to point its two blasters in different directions. While Junmyeon is able to make it over to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol by using the rocky terrain as cover, Kai ends up stranded on the other side of the path alone. The droid seems to decide that Kai is an easier target and clambers over to him on its three legs, almost like a spider.

Its days like this that Kai regrets never learning how to shoot a blaster. He’s practically defenseless at the moment since using his lightsaber would reveal his true identity. Kyungsoo was already suspicious enough _without_ Kai unveiling that he was an heir to myths.

As the droid stays distracted with trying to kill him, the sound of men finally break into the area. Kai can sense ten men—a squad armed with plasma weapons. They appear over the ledge, clad in bulky white armor from head to toe. Kai feels his heart stop when his eyes focus on the symbol marked on the foreheads of their helmets in blood red. The sound of the droid’s blasts fades into the background as Kai feels unbridled rage consume his body. The sharp edges of the emblem send Kai back two years to _that_ day, the sound of history crackling under the intense power of flames.

 _The legacy is now yours_.

Though he doesn’t notice, the droid stops firing at Kai and rolls over to the ledge to stand in front of the soldiers.

“Well, what do we have here?” asks a mocking voice, slightly altered by the helmet. “Pirates?”

“We’re just transporters,” Kyungsoo voices in his strong voice. “We don’t want to cause any trouble.”

The one at the head of the group, distinguished as the leader by the single red shoulder pad, glances behind him at the destroyed droids. “Too late for that. The Commander won’t take kindly to the damage you’ve caused his precious droids.”

Kai clenches his fingers into the tree he’s standing behind, the bark cracking under the strength of his grip.

“They attacked us first!” Chanyeol protests. “We were just defending ourselves.”

“This area is under the rule of Commander Kim, and you are all trespasser who have destroyed his property,” the leader says, ignoring Chanyeol.

“No one has any claim on this planet except for the natives,” Junmyeon hisses, his eyes livid.

“Pfft, those dumbass Ewoks?” one of the soldiers snickers. “They still use spears as weapons!”

The leader holds his hand up, ceasing the chatter amongst his soldiers. “Our orders are to bring in any suspicious trespassers, Ewok or not. Now you can come with us in one piece or with a few holes. Your choice.”

Kyungsoo scoffs at the threat, rolling his eyes. “Could you idiots get anymore cliché? Like hell we’re going with you.”

_Shut up shut up you stupid midget you’re going to get us killed—_

“Then you die.”

_Fuck._

The droid springs back into action, rolling toward the Cloud 9 crew as the soldiers jump off the cliff. Kai rushes to towards the trooper closest to him, taking the man by surprise with a swift kick to the back of the neck and disorienting. He covertly clenches his hand, using the Force to knock the trooper out completely. Kai grabs at the man’s body, using it has a shield when the other troopers notice he’s entered the fight. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kyungsoo roll away from the droid occupied by Chanyeol and Junmyeon and move towards another trooper. Kai watches in slight awe as the tiny man— _sloppily_ , really; no tact— dodges blaster beams by mere centimeters. Kyungsoo gets close to one of the troopers, pushing his blaster to the sky with one hand and rearing his other hand far back. Kai can hear clicks and a small hum from Kyungsoo’s armor before the pilot delivers his punch to the trooper’s face, sending the man flying through trees. A shockwave emanates from the hit, causing everyone—even the droid—to stumble.

“What the—“ one of the remaining troopers voices in shock.

“His armor has vibroweaponry!” another shouts.

Kai smirks. _Heh. Not bad._

Taking advantage of the brief stillness, Kai drops his shield and moves to the next trooper who had turned his attention to Kyungsoo. He aims a punch to the tooper’s jaw, causing him to lose his grip on his blaster. Kai follows up the attack with another punch to the stomach to throw the man of balance. He takes advantage of the stumble, grabbing the trooper by his neck and pulling his head down to meet Kai’s armored knee. He throws the man to the ground picks up his blaster, shooting at the trooper a few feet away from him. Kai tries to aim at one further away, but finds his shot as awful as he remembers and he ends up having to dive for cover again.

With swift feet, Kai gracefully avoids the blasts aimed at him, delivering a kick with his long leg when he’s close enough to his attacker. Once again the trooper’s blaster clatters to the leaf-covered ground, and Kai uses his hand-to-hand combat without risk of being shot. Around him, Kyungsoo has taken out two more troopers with his punches, sending them soaring into trees. Chanyeol and Junmyeon struggle with defeating the droid that deflects their attacks with its shield, both looking at wits end.

However, Kai is unable to help them when he watches the captain—still on the ledge where they have forgotten he is—take aim at an unsuspecting Kyungsoo who has his back towards the perch in favor of facing off against two other troopers.

Kai can feel time slow down as the captain’s gun aligns with the back of Kyungsoo’s unarmored head while the man remains oblivious. Kai is too far away to scramble up the ledge and fight the captain directly, but he can easily run to Kyungsoo and defend his blind spot.

He doesn’t need any more convincing than that. He gives into the unrelenting itch that has been plaguing his hand the entire fight. His hand drops to his hip and unclips his weapon as he runs to Kyungsoo, standing between him and the captain. The Force hums through his body in time with released energy as icy blue light illuminates his face. The blast meant to kill is easily deflected, embedded into the bark of a tree near by.

The entire battle comes to standstill, the only sound being the hum of the lightsaber in Kai’s hands.

“ _Jedi_ ,” the captain murmurs, his voice carried by the wind.

Kai fixes the man with a glare, daring him to continue the fight.

The first person to jump out of their stupor is one of the troopers. Kai senses him take aim, and quickly grabs ahold of the man by the Force and lifts him into the air. The man lets out a shriek as he’s flung into a nearby tree, effectively knocked out. Kai twists around Kyungsoo’s frozen form, slashing his lightsaber down to cut the trooper in front of him down his chest. He elegantly directs his blade toward the next trooper in a fluid stroke, kicking his leg out to attack the other. With the man off balance, Kai turns his lightsaber to deliver another downward slash, finishing off the soldiers.

He moves towards the droid plaguing Chanyeol and Junmyeon, deflecting its shots with his lightsaber. He flings it into a boulder to drop its shield; once defenseless, Kai pierces it through its processor, effectively shutting it off.

The Force thrums through his body, giving him a rush of power he hasn’t felt in weeks. Behind him, he hears the captain run back into the direction his squad came.

 _Coward_.

Kai marches towards the ledge before crouching down to the ground. He pushes himself into a leap, using the Force to propel him higher than a normal human. He lands perfectly on the ledge and gives chase. Kai has always been proud of his long legs and incredible speed, and that pride is not unfounded as proven by the quick takedown of the squadron captain. The man pitifully tries to put up a fight, shooting wildly behind him. Kai deflects the random blasts easily, catching up to the man swiftly. Instead of slashing him with his lightsaber, Kai tackles him to the ground, the two sliding through the dirt and leaves with the momentum.

Kai rises immediately when they stop, kicking the man onto his back and placing his lightsaber at the man’s throat. The red symbol stares back at him mockingly, reminding him of his past mistakes. “Who do you work for? What does that symbol mean?”

The trooper remains silent, causing a jolt anger to spread throughout Kai’s body. He pushes his lightsaber closer to the man, letting the blade slice the helmet’s chin guard. “Tell me and I won’t kill you.”

“Jedi don’t believe in killing,” the man says, panic clear in his voice. “They were peacekeepers!”

“The Jedi are gone,” Kai counters, his voice as dark as his glare. “Tell me who you work for.”

The trooper remains silent.

“Fine.” Kai raises his lightsaber above the trooper’s heart, ready to execute the man connected to his father’s murder. He stares directly at that symbol painted in blood as the lightsaber drops, a nauseating montage of all his failures flashing through his mind.

_You are better than this, Jongin._

Kai freezes immediately at the familiar voice. The tip of the lightsaber stops centimeters before hitting the trooper’s armor. His voice comes out in a pitiful whisper, “ _Appa_?”

_This is not the way of the Force, son._

Kai feels something wet roll down his cheek as his hands begin to tremble. He could hear his father’s voice. _He could hear his murdered father’s voice as if he was standing right next to him_.

Taking advantage of Kai’s momentary weakness, the captain shoves Kai’s foot off of his chest. Kai staggers as the captain pushes himself up and continues running. His rage reawakens, sparking his body into action. He raises his hand grabs the man by way of the Force, throwing him into a tree to knock him out.

Kai takes a deep breath, trying to stop the tears from leaving his eyes. Once he steadies his breathing, he looks around the forest for any signs of his father. “Father? Are you there? Talk to me, please. Father!”

But no matter how much Kai begs, his father’s voice does not return.

 

☆★☆

 

The crew of Cloud 9 stays frozen as Kai jumps onto the cliff as if he has rockets in his boots and chases after the captain of the trooper squadron. The hum of Kai’s weapon eventually fades into the distance, leaving Kyungsoo staring at the ledge with eyes wide in disbelief.

“Th-that...” Junmyeon tries, but ends up falling silent, and the air of slight fear returns to the forest.

Kyungsoo gulps, turning toward Junmyeon and Chanyeol. “I’m wasn’t seeing things right? You saw him pull out that... _thing_ and fling those men across the forest without touching them, right?”

“I-I thought they were myths,” Junmyeon says frantically.

“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol questions, looking more frazzled than usual.

Junmyeon ignores him, running a hand through his already battle-mussed dark hair. “Every record of them says they’re fairytales! Just stories to teach children morals and put them to sleep.”

“Junmyeon, what do you mean,” Kyungsoo demands, using his authoritative “captain” voice.

“People who can control the Force, the energy that flows through the galaxy! Force-sensitives!” exclaims the navigator, his eyes wild.

It’s as if a bullet goes off in his brain. Suddenly, he remembers stories told by hitchhikers his father picked up on The Star. Grand tales about people who were connected to the galaxy and wielded swords of pure energy. Some used their gifts for good and the others for bad. They have names. What are their names? Kyungsoo remembers the word the captain uttered when Kai unsheathed his weapon.

“Jedi.”

“Yes!” Junmyeon agrees. “Jedi. And Sith.”

Chanyeol still remains as confused as ever. “What am I not getting here?”

Junmyeon looks at him. “You’ve never heard of the Force?”

“No...” the man drifts off.

“The Force is the energy that connects the galaxy and people were born sensitive to that energy, meaning they could manipulate it. Jedi were Force-sensitives trained in the light side of the Force; they were beacons of peace. The Sith were trained in the dark side and harbingers of disaster. They were mortal enemies, fighting war after war against each other. They—“

“Destroyed each other,” Kyungsoo finishes. “They died out a long time ago. At least, that’s how the story goes. Obviously something was lost in translation like the fact that Force-sensitive aren’t _actually_ a myth.”

“Are you guys sure he’s a...Force-sensitive?” Chanyeol asks.

“What the fuck else would he be?” Kyungsoo snaps. “You literally just watched him throw things around by only raising his hand. And that weapon...” The memories hit Kyungsoo hard. “It’s the signature of Force-sensitives. Both Sith and Jedi used them. Stars, what were they called? Life swords? Life savers? Loaf—no, not loaf. Life...light—“

“Lightsabers!” Junmyeon supplies.

Kyungsoo snaps his fingers and points at him in victory. “Yes, lightsabers. They’re made of pure energy and only Force-sensitives can wield them, or something.”

Chanyeol still remains bemused, looking between the frantic pilot and navigator. “Okay...so is Kai good or bad?”

“There were ways to tell between Sith and Jedi, if I remember correctly...” Junmyeon trails off in thought.

Kyungsoo remembers the bright, icy blue of Kai’s blade. “Didn’t something have to do with the color of the lightsaber? Like...didn’t red mean Sith? And blue and green were Jedi?”

“Generally, I think, but not necessarily. I remember reading records about Jedis with orange blades.”

“Well, Kai’s blade was blue, so he’s good, right?” Chanyeol says.

Kyungsoo crosses his arms. “What if he stole it from someone else to make himself seem good?”

“You can at least _try_ to give him the benefit of the doubt, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon sighs. “He just saved us.”

“So? We’re his ride to his destination. He needs us to stay alive,” Kyungsoo counters, refusing to step down. As far as he’s concerned, Kai’s display of power further proves that they shouldn’t trust the quiet man. He’s obviously been hiding this secret since Elerion—Kyungsoo’s not even sure if Hyunsik knew about the lightsaber.

“You’re too cynical.”

“I’m just being practical! We don’t know this guy _at all_. He’s been silent this entire trip and avoids us unless he needs to eat and all the sudden he’s some warrior from a legend? Look me straight in the face and tell me that’s a good foundation for trust.”

“All right, you two.” Chanyeol steps between them, hoping to calm them down. “We don’t know if he’s good or bad, but he saved us. He blocked you from being executed from behind and saved us from being murdered by the rolling droid. We owe him thanks for that, at least.”

Kyungsoo huffs. “Sure, whatever, but like hell am I going to trust someone with sinister yellow eyes—“ He freezes, eyes widening and mouth dropping open in realization.

It’s as if Kyungsoo is transported a decade back, back to when he was a young boy on The Star with his father. He remembers the traveling vagabond they picked up on Rodia, her cavernous eyes twinkling with the secrets of the galaxy.

_“You can always tell the difference between Jedi and Sith, young one, by looking into their eyes,” she said._

_“Really?” young Kyungsoo asked, leaning forward in interest._

_The Rodian hummed. “Eyes are the gateway to the soul. Yellow eyes with red rims are the mark of the dark side.”_

The pilot blinks to wash the memory away. He looks to Junmyeon, who mirrors him in appearance.

Chanyeol looks between them, lost once again. “What—“

Leaves crunch from behind them and they all startle, quickly turning to look back toward the ledge. Kyungsoo swears his heart will explode from his chest and a cold wave of fear sweeps across his body.

It’s ironic that the one time Kyungsoo wishes Kai’s eyes to be hidden his hood is drawn down, exposing his brown eyes and sharp jawline. The man meets his gaze unwaveringly, causing Kyungsoo to tense in anticipation. Kai slowly slides down the ledge, walking a few steps forward due to the momentum. Kyungsoo pushes aside his fear and steps forward to close the gap, putting his body between Kai and his crew.

“I can explain,” Kai says.

“By all means,” Kyungsoo replies mockingly, gesturing to the bodyguard. With all his grand talk, he can barely suppress the shivers that threaten to run down his spine at the sound of the man’s deep voice.

Kai takes a deep breath before speaking. “I am a Force-sensitive. I will cause your crew no harm. I just...” The man trails off, struggling for words.

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes and dives in for the kill. “You’re Sith.”

Kai visibly flinches before his body turns rigid again. “I am not.”

“I’ve seen your eyes turn yellow,” Kyungsoo counters, “back at the club.”

The man’s eyes widen slightly, shame shining in his eyes. “I am not a Sith,” Kai protests again, this time sounding unsure.

“I think I know my Force myths pretty well!”

“ _Don’t call them that_.”

Kyungsoo startles at the sudden growl, wide eye meeting Jongin’s strong glare.

“We aren’t myths. We are still alive—perhaps not thriving—but as long as I stand, we are alive,” Kai says firmly.

Kyungsoo understands the man’s anger to some extent—he wouldn’t like to be called a myth either—but Kai’s anger triggers him. He supposes it’s just a natural reaction at this point—to fight Kai.

“Fine, not myths. But I’ve heard stories from across the galaxy and the one thing that’s never disputed is that Sith have yellow eyes. So tell me, _Darth_ Kai, what is your true business on Rishi?”

Kai becomes visibly furious at the title. “I am under no obligation to tell you that.”

He’s right, but like Kyungsoo’s ever let that stop him. “Sorry, just want to make sure I’m not getting involved with building the second Galactic Empire and the enslavement of the entire fucking galaxy.”

“Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon says from behind him, “stop.”

“Are you honestly siding with him right now?” Kyungsoo exclaims, looking back at his navigator in bewilderment.

“I’m not siding with anybody,” Junmyeon says calmly. “I just think this argument is very one-sided, and you haven’t given him a chance to explain.”

Kyungsoo is seething; he can’t believe Junmyeon out of all times decides to _Mom_ him in front of a fucking Sith warrior. One _look_ from the navigator has him falling silent, though. Junmyeon looks to Kai, gesturing for him to continue.

“Your crew is not my goal. Your ship is simply a means of transport,” Kai says bluntly.

“Okay,” Junmyeon responds. “That’s fine.”

“However, my plans have changed in light of...” he trails off, looking at the destroyed droid laying at the base of the boulder. “...this.”

“How so?”

“I need to find where the droids and soldiers came from.”

“Well,” Kyungsoo jumps in again, “you can do that on your own. Our job here is to deliver a package to some guy living in an Ewok village, not stumble around the forest looking for a bunch of raiders.”

“Those men obviously answer to someone who has claimed this planet,” Kai fires back, his anger clearly coming back. “This is legally an Ewok settlement.” How selfless for a Sith.

“And I feel awful about that!” Kyungsoo protests. “But I’m not about to risk my crew for something that isn’t my problem.”

Kai sneers. “It takes a great man to respond to the need he sees.”

“So now I’m a bad guy for wanting to keep my crew out of some stupid scuffle on a planet that means fuck all to anyone?”

“It’s clearly not ‘some stupid scuffle’ if they have blasters while the Ewok still use wooden spears. We’re responsible for finding out who’s threatening them—“

“ _We’re_ not responsible for anything! My only responsibilities are to deliver two packages and keep my crew safe.”

Kai doesn’t respond, his lips curling into a snarl. Kyungsoo takes that as a win.

“Let’s go,” Kyungsoo says. “I want to reach the village before sundown.”

He stares pointedly at Junmyeon, who takes a moment to realize that he’s supposed to lead them to the drop point. The navigator lets out a little sound of discomfort before leading them back to the ledge and finding a path that allows them to travel up. Kyungsoo didn’t want to hear Kai’s voice anymore, let alone see him, so follows Junmyeon closely, shoulders back and head held high.

 

☆★☆

 

Kai barely contains his anger as he _once again_ watches the tiny pilot march away from him. All he ever seems to see is the man’s back, and when they do meet eyes its to glare. He would be treated better if he just stowed away on some pirate starship like he did before. (Yeah, they treated him like a slave for his short stay but at least they didn’t question and threaten him so much.) He reluctantly trails behind the pilot and navigator, knowing they’re his only source of information at the moment. He hopes that someone in the village will be able to tell him about the raiders and this “Commander Kim”.

“Hey, uh, Kai?”

Kai looks toward the tall engineer that appeared by his side.

“I just want to say thank you for saving us back there. Junmyeon would usually be the first to thank you but he’s kinda busy making sure Kyungsoo doesn’t maul you...and I know deep down in his dark heart Kyungsoo is grateful, too—“ Kai can’t help but snort at that, “—He cares a lot about us even if he doesn’t outwardly show it; our safety is always his top priority.”

“It’s no problem,” Kai says dismissively.

His curt tone doesn’t throw Chanyeol off much. “I don’t know much about Jedi or Sith or the Force and stuff, but you seem like a pretty okay guy. I mean, you protected us, so you can’t be _that_ bad, right?”

The rambling sounds more like thoughts being vocalized aimlessly, so Kai just grunts in response.

Chanyeol remains in step with him, probably trying to make sure Kai doesn’t feel completely ostracized from the group. A tiny part of him is thankful for that. The walk is silent again with the sounds of nature starting again. Kai no longer feels threats near them and allows himself to relax a little. Instead, he focuses his energy on glaring at Kyungsoo’s leather clad back, kind of hoping he’ll spontaneously combust. (But not really because Kai doubts Chanyeol or Junmyeon know how to fly and Endor is not some glittering trade planet where he can just hop onto another starship.)

They walk for ten more minutes, the setting sun bathing the forest in a soft pink hue. Endor is a pretty planet, Kai decides. The forest moon has thrived for hundreds of years, completely untouched by technology. The walk is peaceful when Kai finally gives up on glowering at the oblivious pilot.

Kai doesn’t regret blowing up when Kyungsoo accused him of being a Sith. The accusation was a blow to his pride; Kai’s only purpose in life is to live up to the example his father set before he was murdered in cold-blood. He knows he has some unresolved anger issues stemming from his turbulent relationship with his father and the man’s subsequent murder, but he tries his hardest to travel down the light path. Hunting down the origins of the red symbol will be a great service to the galaxy, as proven by the recent encounter. The red symbol represents something evil, and Kai makes it his duty to bring that evil to justice.

That is the Jedi way, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone tell I have no idea how to write action? Ha.  
> Kai convincing himself that he's hunting down his father's murders to protect the galaxy is a huge red flag for anyone not familiar with Star Wars.  
> Follow me on tumblr (kaigazing) to see all my inspiration/aesthetic posts! Also I communicate better through there.

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from AFF under the name happydaze


End file.
